Biography
Alfred A. Cohn (also credited as Al Cohn) was an American screenwriter, journalist and public official. Born in Freeport, Illinois, he worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Cleveland and Galveston before moving to Arizona, where he served as secretary to the constitutional convention that led to statehood in 1912.
In the 1920s he moved to Los Angeles and began writing for silent films, later contributing scripts and adaptations. He is best remembered for his work on The Jazz Singer (1927), adapted from Samson Raphaelson’s play, which received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the first Academy Awards. Other credits include The Cat and the Canary (1927) and The Cohens and Kellys (1926). He wrote more than 100 scripts, around 40 of which were produced.
In the 1930s Cohn retired from screenwriting and served as Police Commissioner of Los Angeles. He also wrote several books and died in Los Angeles in 1951.
